Bobbin and spindle



oct. 12, 1943.

J. A. KENNEDY ETAL 2,331,611

' BOBBIN AND SPINDLE Filed May 8, 1941 l l l l l l l n Patented Oct. 12, 1943 BOBBIN AND SPINDLE John A. Kennedy, Saco, and Joseph W.

said Kennedy assignor to Lewiston, Maine;

Bourassa,

Saco-Lowell Shops, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application May 8, 1941, Serial No. 392,424

6 Claims.

understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, the single figure is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, showing a spindle and bobbin construction embodying the invention.

The spindle structure illustrated in` the drawing comprises a blade 2 mounted in anl upright position in a base 3. The particular construction shown is essentially like that of the Well known McMullen spindle. In addition to the blade, this spindle structure includes a whirl and a integral extension thereof indicated at 5, coinmonly referred to as an acorn, these parts being pressed on to a tapered portion of the blade so that they function as though they were integral with it. Also, for the purposes of this invention a tapered metal tip 6 is pressed tightly on to the upper end of the blade, and the space between this tip and the upper end of the acorn is filled out by a sleeve l of Wood or metal, the Circumferential surfaces of the parts 5, 6 and l being smoothly finished and merging one with another. In some cases two or more of these parts 2, 4, 5, 6 and 'l may be made integral, depending upon the requirements of the individual spindles, manufacturing conditions, and other practical considerations. When the parts are made in the particular manner illustrated, it is preferable to dowel the sleeve l to the acorn 5 as shown at 8.Y

The bobbin provided by this invention comprises a body lll, made of wood or equivalent material, and having a substantially cylindrical exterior surface except at the lower end thereof where it may be enlarged, as illustrated at a. For most of the length of this bobbin, it is provided With a cylindrical bore, but at about thev point b the diameter of the bore is reduced, and from this point to the top it is tapered to conform to the taper of the tip 6.

The relationship between the bobbin and the tip is important because the t of the bobbin on the tip must be sumciently tight to transmit the torque necessary to drive the bobbin and the load carried by it and such drive must be accomplished without slip. At the same time the fit between these parts should not be so tight as to interfere materially with the doing of the bobbin. In other words, it must permit easy dong. In addition, the taper of these two parts determines the vertical position of the bobbin on the spindle. As is well understood by those skilled in this art, it is highly desirable to have al1 the vbobbins in a spinning frame located on a common horizontal level so that the thread bodies will be built up in the .same relative positions on all bobbins. While some tolerance in this respect can be permitted, the variation of different bobbins from a common level should not be great, not over an eighth of an inch at the most.

We have found that if the taper of the tip 6 and the bore of the bobbin are made between iifty and one hundred thousandths of an inch per inch of length, then these somewhat coniiicting requirements are satisiied. The tip, however, should be considerably larger in diameter than the ordinary spindle blade in order to provide a friction area suiiicient to prevent slip. For this reason the tip should have a diameter at its larger end of at least three-eighths of an inch and it is preferable to make it somewhat larger, say half or three-quarters of an inch. A length of half or three-quarters of an inch is satisfactory.

Below the point b the bobbin has ample clearance with the sleeve l, this clearance being reduced toward the lower end of the bobbin. That provided between the acorn and the bobbin should be at least four thousandths of an inch all around the bobbin and should not exceed fifteen thousandths.

Wood bobbins of this character can be made economically by the usual "methods while still maintaining the dimensions within the limits above called for. Such a bobbin has a better driving engagement with the spindle than does the ordinary bobbin and spindle combination for the reason that in the latter the bore of the bobbin is substantially cylindrical and the driving engageu ment is formed simply by the contact of the lower end of this cylindrical bore with the tapered surface of the acorn. Theoretically this is a line contact, although actually the driving area is somewhat greater. v

In addition, the combination provided by this invention affords the bobbin a better opportunity to adjust itself to the running requirements of its own mass and the load which it carries than does the usual construction. That is, the spindle blade has some gyratory movement relatively to its base due to the fact that the assembly of the bobbin and the yarn or thread body mounted on it is practically never in true dynamic balance so that there is usually some vibration of the spindle at low speeds which disappears at higher operating speeds when those forces tending t make the rotating mass revolve about an axis passing through its center of gravity overcome those tending to make it revolve about the geometrical axis of the spindle. Since the bobbin is supported on and is driven bythe upper end of the spindle, a small clearance at the lower end of the bobbin gives a more effective or greater relative clearance within which the bobbin can find a steady running position than would a corresponding clearance at the upper end of the spindle if the bobbin were driven from its base.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim as new ls:

1. The combination with a spindle mounted for rotation about an upright axis, of a wooden bobbin removably supported on said spindle, said spindle having a tapered tip, and said bobbin having a bore tapered adjacent toits upper end and fitting on said tip with sufficient friction to provide a firm driving engagement between said spindle and said bobbin, the portion of said bobbin below said tip having a circumferential clearance with said spindle providing a limited lateral freedom of movement of this portion of the bobbin relatively to the spindle.

2. The combination with a spindle mounted for rotation about an upright axis and having an acorn and a tip both larger than the spindle blade, and a filler section connecting said acorn and said tip, a wooden bobbin removably mounted on said spindle, the bore of said bobbin near its upper end being tapered to fit the taper of said tip and said taper being sufllcient to drive the bobbin from the tip without substantial slip but permitting free removal of the bobbin from the tip during doillng, said taper also being within such limits as to support the bobbin in substantially a predetermined vertical position relatively to said acorn, the portion of said bobbin below said tip having a circumferential clearance with said spindle providing a limited lateral freedom of movement of this portion of the bobbin relatively to the spindle.

3. The combination with a spindle mounted for rotation about an upright axis and having an acorn and a tip both larger than the spindle blade, and a filler section connecting said acorn and said tip, a wooden bobbin removably mounted on said spindlel the bore of said bobbin near its upper end being tapered to fit the taper of said tip and said taper being sufficient-to drive the bobbin from the tip without substantial slip but permitting free removal of the bobbin from the tip during dofllng, said taper also being within such limits as to support the bobbin in substantially a predetermined vertical position relatively to said acorn, the part of said bobbin below said tapered bore'having a circumferential clearance with said spindle and such clearance between the lower end of the bobbin and the portion of the acorn encircled thereby being between four and fteen thousandths of an inch all around the acorn.

4. A combination according to preceding claim 1, in which the larger end of said tip has a diameter of at least three-eighths of an inch and a taper of between fifty and one hundred thousandths of an inch per inch of length.

5. A wooden bobbin having a substantially cylindrical outer surface throughout most of its length and being provided with an internal bore which is narrowed at the upper portion thereof, said bore including a section above the narrowing point having a diameter of at least threeeighths of an inch, a length of at least half an inch, and a taper of between fty and one hundred thousandths of an inch per -inch of length, the larger end of said tapered section of the bore being at the lower part thereof, whereby it will t on a spindle tip of corresponding outside dimensions with suiiicient friction to be driven by said tip while permitting free removal of the bobbin from the tip duringr dofing.

6. A combination according to preceding claim 1, in which said spindle tip has a diameter of at least three-eighths of an inch at its larger end, a length of at least a half inch and a taper of between fifty and one hundred thousandths of an inch per inch of length, and the bore of the upper end portion of said bobbin has internal dimensions corresponding to the above stated dimensions of said tip. the larger diameter of said tapered section of the tip being at the lower part thereof.

JOHN A. KENNEDY. JOSEPH W. BOURASSA. 

